Understanding the Web

Countless pieces have been written about the Web. The select few listed below offer a basic view essential for using Web resources effectively.

• The World Wide Web
  This site briefly explains common aspects of the Web and includes a short account of its early history.
  
  
• Glossary of Internet & Web Jargon
  Explains terms in a conversational tone, gives instructions for applying them and links to examples of sites currently demonstrating their use.
  
  
• WebWise - glossary
  The glossary is part of a larger site entitled "Webwise: The Internet made simple" presented by the BBC.
  
  
• Free Web and Fee-Based Web Sources
  
  
• Items commonly found on the Web without cost to the viewer include:
  
  • News and weather
    
  • Government publications
    
  • Services with a sales component
    
  • People pages (personal, entertainers, politicians)
    
  • Advertising
    
  • Games
    
  • Library catalogs
    
    
• Fee-Based sources
  Many sources on the Web, though, require payment. Sometimes the payment is made directly from the user to the source (usually via credit card). In return the user gets a subscription to view the source for a certain interval/number of views or on a pay-per-view or print basis. In other instances an agency, such as a library, pays a licensing fee and offers access to its members usually without direct cost. A prime example is the U-M Library which currently licenses over 14,000 titles for your use on campus as well as from off-campus locations.